Despite decreasing economic confidence among dentists, DSO leaders remain optimistic about what the future holds for interest rates, consumer spending and M&A activity.
A recent American Dental Association survey found that dentists’ confidence in the U.S. economy and the dental sector was significantly lower than a year ago. For the overall U.S. economy, roughly 33% of dentists said they were “somewhat” or “very” confident, down from 56.3% in 2024. About 41% of dentists said they are confident in the dental sector during the fourth quarter of 2025, compared to 62.6% in 2024.
The main driving force behind dentists’ skepticism in the U.S. economy specifically is concern about tariffs and inflation, followed by general economic uncertainty and a lack of faith in current U.S. leadership.
Source: Dentistry’s mixed economic forecast / Becker’s Dental